Sick Inside
by H2P2
Summary: Present Day AU My name is Toph. I have goods friends and a wonderful life. But last May, everything I value, everything I hold dear, was nearly destroyed, Main pairings: Kataang, Tokka, Zuki Minor Pairings: Taang, Sukka.
1. Chapter 1: Prologue

Disclaimer: Avatar is the best show on TV. But I don't own it for some reason…

A.N. This story is based around Hope Partlow's song Sick Inside even though the song will not be put into the story until the last chapter. This is going to be a Kataang and Tokka story with hints of Zuki. The mild Taang does not last long. Oh and Toph isn't blind for reasons explained in the story. And now… on with the story!

It was the middle of May, and I was looking forward to the end of the school year. My friends and I always had a crazy time during the summer in our little-known town. It was a simple mountain town that was far away from all the bustle and hustle of the big cities. Everybody knew each other and most were friendly.

My friends Katara, Sokka, Aang, Zuko, and Suki are my constant companions. We do practically everything together: parties, walks, outdoor activities, movies… we are inseparable.

Aang is the sweet one of the group. Katara and he have been dating since 7th grade (we are all currently in 10th grade except Zuko, who is in 11th). Aang always has a grin on his face and never seems to get upset.

Katara is in a category of her own. She has the looks that would make any boy stare, even without makeup. Despite her looks, she is a very athletic girl with a good heart. She loves Aang, as he loves her. I doubt anything could ruin their relationship.

Sokka is Katara's brother. He is the smart one. I've been crushing him for a long time, but he's with Suki. He loves history and engineering. Plus, he enjoys sword fighting and throwing around the boomerang he received when he was nine.

Zuko is the oldest. He's the bold one. He became our friends after he quit being a popular jerk because it wasn't who he wanted to be. He used to date Mai back when he was a git, but she decided to remain a popular. She dumped him when he became our friend. He lives with his uncle because his father, Ozai, is an evil criminal in a nearby city. Zuko was supposed to inherit the "family businesses", but he refused. His father banished him from the city. Zuko doesn't really seem to mind though. He and Aang are practically brothers. He also crushes Suki, but I doubt anyone but me knows.

Suki is the brave one. She and Sokka are together, but it isn't exactly "serious." At least, not yet. Suki wear the weirdest make-up. She calls it her "warrior paint." I find it rather amusing. She, like Sokka, loves to fight. She inherited her mother's metal, weaponry fans. They say that they were once used by the Kyoshi Warrior many years ago, but it has never been proven.

And me? I am the tough one. After being blind for over 10 years, one usually does. I had an laser eye surgery when I was ten, so I can see fine now. I am skilled at a version of Kung Fu that I altered during my years of blindness. In fact, all of my friend are skilled in at least one martial art. In Aang's case, four. Despite my stubborn reluctance, I also have grown to enjoy singing and writing.

But that May, everything I value, everything I hold dear, was almost destroyed.

Please Review! I really want to make this a lasting fanfiction on this site, so give me lots of advice and ideas! And yes, it's short, but the chapters will get bigger!


	2. Chapter 2: Pizza Party

A.N. I am so sorry for not updating sooner. I have been really busy with school. Anyways, here's the next chapter. It's a bit short, but they probably will be short for a few more chapters.

Disclamer: I don't own Avatar.

A shout awoke me from a deep sleep the morning that this story begins. I sighed when I recognized the voice. My dad. Between you and me, I don't like my parents much. They are one of the wealthiest people in the town, and they treat me like a child still. They lightened up a bit when I had the eye surgery that ended my blindness, but their rules about bedtimes and curfews are really annoying. At least I can go to parties if I am home by eleven.

I swung my legs out of bed and put my head in my hands. "Two weeks," I thought, "Two weeks and I am finally free for the summer."

I rose slowly from my sitting position on the bed and stumbled to my dresser. After pulling out a pair of baggy jeans and throwing on a loose fitting hoodie, I approached the stairs. Without a second thought, I jumped onto the railing and slid down. Call me immature, but I can never resist doing that!

I approached the kitchen and the smell of bacon and eggs welcomed me. Mum was preparing breakfast, and my dad was sitting at the table with a bunch of papers in front of him. I shook my head. My dad was always busy. He had a lot of businesses in the city thirteen miles from the edge of town, so he always seemed to be on the phone or at work. That suited me just fine. Usually we fought when he was at home about what I could do with my friends. My mum was a little more flexible, so I preferred asking her.

After eating quickly, I rose, grabbed my backpack from next to the front door, and ran down the street. The school I went to was three blocks from my house, so I could just walk or run there.

I arrived at the school with over ten minutes to spare. Ten minutes that I could have used to sleep. Man my dad's annoying.

I immediately began looking for my friends. I found them under our favorite tree. It is a handsome pine tree that gives lots of shade to the picnic table beneath the branches. Being May, nearly all the snow that our town received was gone, so we usually ate outside under that tree…

_Flashback_

_I was a newby to the middle school, and I was blind. As I approached the school, I felt my way around the students. I could feel the vibrations in the ground that helped me manuever. One of the kids, Jet, tripped me without warning, and I almost fell face first onto the pavement. Then, I felt a pair of strong arms grab me and pull back up. A female voice shouted, "Have you any heart you idiot? You could have hurt her!"_

_I heard a smacking sound and a shout of anger. At first, I was nervous. Being unable to see a person's facial features can sometime scare me. Then, third voice said, "You okay?"_

"_Yeah," I muttered, "Who are you."_

_That was when I first met Aang. Sokka and Katara. Suki moved to our town a year later and joined our little gang. Zuko was the last to join. At first, he seemed a little reclusive, but then again, who wouldn't? He had received a nasty burn on his left eye from one of his father's many punishments, and was sent to live with his uncle. Still, he and Aang grew to be near brothers and soon, he was a good friend to us all._

_The tree that we always eat under during the fall and spring was the very area that I met Katara, Aang, and Sokka for the first time._

_End Flashback_

The bell rang, knocking me out of my memory. We all split into our respective classes and prepared for another boring day of school.

Surprisingly, the day was actually pretty good. We had barely any homework, so we all finished it during study period. We had a week before all our exams, so we planned to enjoy this week before hell fell down upon us in the form of nonstop studying.

After school, I bid my friends farewell and walked home. Nobody opened the door, so I checked to see if it was locked. It was. My parents were gone for the rest of the day. Finally! I pulled out a key from a small pouch in my backpack and opened the door.

I was right. Nobody was home. I had the whole day to myself. I immediately signed onto the computer, and signed up onto AIM, MSN, and Yahoo Messenger. (I have three IM addresses because Sokka and Katara have AIM, Suki has MSN, and Aang and Zuko have Yahoo. Everybody was online. We all messed around with each other until about six, which was usually when we all ate dinner. We agreed to meet each other at the local pizza parlor.

The pizza parlor was nearly empty for some reason. Usually, it was jammed packed with people. Still, Katara and Sokka were already there. They said Aang and Zuko were in the back getting a pizza. Aang works there for free so we all get free group pizzas when we arrive. Zuko works there because his uncle, Iroh, is the manager. He's an awesome guy. He's funny, really philosophical, and a master at counseling the depressed; he even gave a job to a man that tried to mug him in the streets.

That's another thing about Iroh. He's also a master at the northern form of kung fu. He teaches it at a local dojo that he shares with three other martial art masters. Master Pakku, Sensei Bumi, Monk Gyatso, and Uncle Iroh are all good friends despite their differences in martial arts. Indeed, they're nearly as close as my friends and I are. But that's another story.

Soon, Aang and Zuko showed up with a huge pizza. Even before they set it on the table Suki burst through the door panting. "Sorry guys! I got a bit delayed on my way," she said as she collapsed into a chair with a weary sigh.

"Let me guess. Haru?" Katara giggled.

"When will that bastard realize that I am NOT going to go out with him?" Suki said in disgust.

"Oi," Zuko said, "Let's forget about him and eat."

"I second that plan!" Sokka shouted, and he grabbed a slice and stuffed it into his mouth.

"Will you ever learn manners you barbarian?" I asked.

"Whafs maferns?" Sokka managed to say through his food stuffed mouth.

"Never mind." I muttered.

After our little pizza party, we all split to our respective homes. Zuko and I turned away as Sokka and Suki kissed goodbye. I am really crushing on Sokka, and Zuko's practically in love with Suki. Still, we hide it. Both of us hold our little group's friendship far more than any relationship.

Not too exciting, but I set the stage in this chapter.

PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!!


	3. Chapter 3: Sokka's Feelings

Disclamer: I don't own Avatar!

The next day, I woke again to my dad calling me. I groaned, "I am so sick of school."

Nevertheless I rose and prepared for school. After all, summer was approaching (even though it was taking its sweet time).

When the school bell rang, I walked quickly to geometry class. God I hate that subject. Math is so boring. Acian, our teacher, who everybody called the mechanic, was the father of Teo, who was the only kid in the school with a wheel chair. Teo was a nice guy. I even dated him, but it didn't work out. Anyway, the mechanic liked to throw in trigonometry into our lessons. Learning about the quadratic equation has got to be the most boring thing in existence.

I thanked the maker that the bell rang. Next class was writing. My favorite. Despite years of being blind, I have a natural ability to write. Today's assignment was due on two days before school ended. We had to write about our most trying time. At first, I thought of the many years I had been blind, but it just didn't seem to fit. I would have to think on this one.

When I reached music, I shuddered and the noise behind the door. Though I rarely admit it, I am the best singer in the whole school. Aang was the best guitar and flute player. All my other friends were about a musical as a Lindsay Lohan's latest album; aka they sucked. I quietly opened the door, and walked to the back of the class. Aang bowed his head to me as I passed in a silent greeting. Then, our teacher, who everybody called the nomad hippie because of his past job as a wandering music performer, walked in.

Again, we received a homework assignment. This time it was to write a song and sing it. I scratched my head. "This is gonna be hard," I thought. Depsite my singing abilities, I can't write songs as well as I can write stories. Again I would have to think about this assignment. It was due the same day as the essay from writing class.

After school ended, I walked home slowly. I was enjoying the cool spring air. Flowers were sprouting everywhere, and everything around me made me feel at ease.

Suddenly, I heard a shout behind me. I turned to see Sokka run up. "Have you seen Suki?" he asked.

"No, why?" I asked.

"I just wondered. I just have this feeling between us. I feel as if we are drifting."

"Uhh, Sokka, how can that be true you're together all the time!"

"I meant as in a couple!" he said impatiently.

"Ah, well I don't know. I am about as good at relationships as Azula."

"Oh come on!" he exclaimed, "Surely you've had a boyfriend?"

"Nope." I said glumly.

He looked thoughtful and suddenly stopped walking. I stopped too, and looked at him, "Something wrong?

"No, I'm just surprised that a girl as pretty and smart as you has never had a boyfriend."

"I have been kissed once, but I was blind and it was a forced kiss. Somebody walked up to me, grabbed me, kissed me, and ran off. Real romantic. Stupid perverts…"

Next thing I know, Sokka is kissing me.

Please R&R!


	4. Chapter 4: Confusion

Mirror mirror on the wall. Who's the owner of Avatar.

Not you.

Damn…

I didn't resist. Hell, I kissed him back. After what felt like hours, he pulled away. I stared at his eyes as I processed what just occurred. After years of desiring it, I finally got kissed by Sokka. Still, I felt something inside me. An emotion that I couldn't really identify.

I snapped back to reality when I heard Sokka speak, "Well, Toph you have had your first kiss. Feel any different?"

I did not know what to say. Finally, I managed to say, "What about Suki?"

"Suki and I are drifting, Toph. I can feel it. I have feeling for you, and I hope you could have feelings for me."

A million thoughts flew through my head. I didn't know what to do. I just stood there staring at him. Finally, I said, "Look, I can't okay? You're with Suki and I won't get in the way."

With that being said, I turned slowly and walked away. I wanted him to follow, but he didn't. He just stood there watching me leave. I sighed sadly. Why did this happen? This wasn't right. Sokka likes me? I thought this would never happen. But it did. And now I didn't what to do. I wanted Sokka to be my boyfriend but I don't want to be the one he's cheating with. Suki was my friend. I didn't want to mess it up.

I finally reached my house and sat on the steps for about ten minutes before I went in. During those ten minutes, I came to a decision. That kiss never happened. Ignoring it would be a good solution.

The next day, I prepared for school. I forced the memory of kiss out of my mind and left the house. Arriving at the school with ten minutes to spare, I sat quietly at the picnic table under the tree. Nobody was there yet. Seven minutes later, I became worried. Suddenly, Zuko ran up. "We have a problem." he said.

"What happened?" I asked (thought I had a guess what it was).

"Suki and Sokka broke up."


	5. Chapter 5: Aang's Hide Away

A.N. I am SO sorry for not updating! Here is the next chapter. I think this is the longest chapter yet for this story. Please R&R!!

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Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar yadda yadda yadda

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Zuko looked at me expecting an expression. I sat there praying I heard wrong. Sokka and Suki have broken up? What's going to happen to our friendship? And above all, what if she discovers it's because of me?

"Toph, you okay?"

I finally lifted my head up, "What's going to happen to our little groups friendship?"

Zuko sighed, "I don't know Toph. I just don't know."

At that moment, the bell rang. We both stood up, "I don't look forward to lunch," I muttered.

"Me neither," Zuko said, as he set off for trigonometry.

All I could think of during class was what the hell I was going to do. Suki was my friend. I knew Sokka broke up with her because of his feelings for me. Normally, I would have welcomed those feelings with open arms, but in this case, I didn't.

Lunch arrived all too quickly. I headed to our usual tree, but only Aang and Zuko were sitting there. I sat down and asked, 'Where is everybody?"

"Sokka and Suki broke up. Sokka and Katara are probably arguing about his break up. Suki is close to Katara. They're practically sisters by the way they act. And Suki."

Aang paused here. "Where is Suki?" I asked insistently.

"I saw her talking to Azula." Aang said reluctantly.

"Shit!"

"Yeah, that scares me too. But then Azula has always wanted Suki to join the populars because of her cheerleading skills."

"I gotta go." I said suddenly. I rose and walked away as quickly as possible without being obvious. I finally reached a secluded area and rested my head on the cold cement wall. " _How could this get any worse?_ I thought. Unfortunately, it would get worse. Far worse.

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Another three days past. Sokka and Suki never spoke. In fact Suki barely talked to any of us. Aangs fear proved true. Suki was now a popular. Katara was furious with Sokka, and Zuko was very upset that his crush and friend turned to the "dark side" as we called becoming a popular. Then, on the third day, Sokka wanted to join me in walking home for school. Once again, we were alone.

"What do you want Sokka?" I snapped after we were out of sight.

"I wanted to ask you to be my girlfriend," he said simply.

"No!" I said far too quickly. To be honest, I was very confused with myself on what I wanted. I've always crushed Sokka, but this didn't feel right.

"I'm sorry, Sokka, I can't. I value our friendship too much."

"If you go out with me, our relationship might get even better and deeper."

"And what if it doesn't!" I shouted.

"Then we can say we tried and remain friends."

"I know what can happen if it ends badly. Our friendship could be destroyed too. I won't risk that. Forget it." I then ran down the street away from stunned Sokka.

When I got home, I collapsed on the steps and put my head in my hands and began crying. This was too much. I needed a distraction. Something fun or relaxing.

As if by magic, Aang drove past and stopped. "Toph?" he shouted, "Are you okay?"

I stood and rubbed the tears off my face and walked toward his car. "I'm fine. I am just tired and stressed with exams and such," I lied.

"Hop in. Wanna go to the dam? That always relaxes me."

"Sure, thanks." I said as I opened the passenger door of his open topped car.

He smiled at me and turned in the direction of the dam. Our town is on the outskirts of a huge damn that provides water for the nearby city. My friends and I love walking along the edge of the sparkling water. Unfortunately, we can't swim or go boating in it. Town rules. Oh well.

The lake has a building nearby called the teen center. It is supposed to be for teenage kids in our town to hang out. There is a "skateboard rink" in the street. In reality though, the rink is just a couple of boards and old signs stuck together by ten cent nails, spit, and a prayer. It is not exactly the safest rink. A guy tried to collect money to create a real skate park, but it never happened. Anyway, I rarely go to the teen center. Though it has a gym, wireless high speed internet, and an old Nintendo 64, the kids that hang out there a lot of the time are the popular jerks. Azula and Jet are the ring leader. The mangers of the teen center turn their heads to the amount of smoking and crap that goes on there. My friends and I all prefer staying outside by the lake.

When we arrived, we parked in the teen center parking lot, which is the only place to park, and we set off for our favorite beach. Aang turned though. "Where are you going?" I asked.

"I'll show you my hide away," he said with a grin.

I stared at him in surprise. Aang was a very spiritual person. Being a master at four martial arts had a part in it, but it was his character. Aang always meditated at least once a day. He claimed that he had a special area in town that he used for meditation and when he wanted to be alone. He never has told anybody where it is except for Katara. Learning about his hide away would be a great honor.

I followed Aang along the shoreline and we eventually reached a grove of aspen trees. He crawled inside the trees. I followed and gasped. The aspen trees surrounded a small clearing covered with soft grass. There was a small plastic table and several lawn chairs. A beautiful Chinese meditative mat sat in a corner as was a purple yoga mat. A hammock hung between two trees. A water-proof safe stood on the table, and a large cooler was at the base of the biggest aspen tree in the clearing.

He smiled at me, "Nice place eh?"

"Wow. This is really awesome!"

Aang walked over the cooler, opened it, and pulled out a mountain dew and a caffeine free diet coke. He handed me the coke, and said, "I believe that your don't like caffeine?"

"Damn right," I laughed. We sat down at the table and clincked our cans. Curiousity got the best of me and I asked, "What's in the safe?"

Aang shrugged and pulled out a key from his pocket. With a twist, he unlocked the safe and pulled out a bunch of manga comic books and a few pictures. I looked at the comics titles. "Cardcaptors?" I asked, "How old are you?"

"I love that series. I wish I had the DVDs."

"You do realize that that show is ancient and meant for a younger generation?"

"I know, but I don't really care," he replied.

I smirked, "Yeah, I used to watch the powerpuff girls."

He laughed and rolled his eyes.

We continued chatting until six, which was when it was getting dark. We left the clearing after Aang closed up his precious manga into the safe. He offered to drive me home, and I readily accepted.

When we arrived at my house, I asked, "Do you wanna come in and play on my new Wii?

"I'd love to, but I have homework."

"Good point. I have some too," I said as we walked to my door. Just before I turned the knob, he gently touched my shoulder, and I turned around. I looked up at him in the moonlight. Then, without thinking, we kissed.

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Please review!


	6. Chapter 6: A Broken Trust

Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar

Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar. Yadda yadda yadda.

A.N. Please read the bottom note after the chapter and review your response.

After what felt like an eternity, we pulled apart. Aang stared at me for a few seconds before running to his car, while I stood there in shock.

I gathered myself together and shouted, "Aang! Wait!" It was too late; he was gone. I collapsed on the front step and buried my face in my hands. What was I going to do? Did I have feelings for Aang?

"No!" I immediately thought. I can't have feelings for my friend.

"Oh?" said a silky sounding voice in my mind, "What about Sokka? He's your friend."

"I know. I know," I muttered aloud. Then, I realized I enjoyed the kiss. For some reason it felt right. Now what was I going to do?"

I raised my head and looked at the moon. It was bright and full tonight. It brought back an old memory.

_Flashback:_

_It was my birthday, and I was so happy. All my friends and I agreed to meet at Cliff Hawk Road. It was also called Make Out Cliff, but not to us for obvious reasons. It was a road leading to a cliff that gave a breath-taking view of the mountains, lake, and our town. It was often used for celebrations in the teen community. It was an unspoken rule that parent were not allowed up here. Thank god I am always up there with my friends._

_When I arrived on my bike (I couldn't have a driver's permit yet), I noticed only Katara was there. She was staring up at the full moon surrounded with a cloud-less sky sparkling with millions of tiny stars. I sat down on the railing next to her._

"_I always loved the moon," she said._

"_It is pretty," I said._

"_Yeah, but I feel more than it's beauty. I feel almost some sort of strength come to me from it. If I am confused or troubled, I always look at the moon, and I know everything will turn out okay eventually."_

_I smiled, "I'll be there to comfort you as well."_

_She turned her head towards me and smiled too, "Same here. Friends forever?"_

"_Definitely," I said happily, "Nothing will destroy it."_

End Flashback

As these thoughts passed through my mind, I felt a tear flow down my face. If Katara found out… I betrayed our friendship and broke the trust we had for each other.

I looked at the moon again, "Help me."

A.N. Okay. The action is really picking up, but I could use some help. I have several ideas what could happen next, so I am going to see what you guys like. Here are the choices.

A. Toph admits what happened to Katara and Suki.

B. Toph tries to keep it a secret, but Azula or one of her friends hears Toph talking to herself about the situation, and tells Suki and Katara.

C. Aang admits what he did to Katara, and she breaks up with him and becomes a popular like Suki

D. Sokka finds out and tries to beat up Aang and everybody finds out.

These are the most likely choices, so let me know!


	7. Chapter 7: Broken Hearts

Disclaimer: Avatar? No I don't own avatar!

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A.N. This will be the last chapter for a while. I am going on vacation soon. I won't be back for about a month. Sorry! When I do get back in June, I will get back to my writing!

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The next day, I woke up early. It was ten before five, and I couldn't get back to sleep. I was scared about going to school. Actually, scared was the wrong word. Terrified was way better of a word. Still, I rose, showered, and got ready for school. I took my time and was done by six. I then looked over my homework till seven. I could hear my parents waking up, so I walked to the kitchen, grabbed an oatmeal bar, scrawled a note for my parents, and left.

Slowly, I walked along the deserted road talking to myself. Talking to myself was something I often did when I was confused or troubled.

"What am I going to do?" I said, "First I kiss Sokka and ruin that friendship. Now I have betrayed Katara by kissing Aang. And the worst part is that I enjoyed both kisses. They felt wonderful. Damn it! What the hell am I going to do?"

I continued down the road muttering. When the school finally came into view, it was almost eight, which was when the bell rang. I hustled up the crowded steps and hurried down the hall toward my first class.

It was around eleven, and I was turning the lock on the locker, when I noticed everybody was whispering and looking at me. My heart sank. Aang or Sokka told. I looked down, and prepared myself for what might be the worst day of school I will probably ever have.

Lunch. This was when it started getting ugly. After buying some food, I walked toward the table my friends usually sit at. Only Zuko was there. I looked around for everybody else. Suki was sitting with Azula and her cronies. Katara, Sokka, and Aang were nowhere to be seen.

Suddenly I heard Azula shout, "Hey, Toph! Is Ty Lee right? Is it really true you made out with Aang and Sokka?"

Suddenly, my throat tightened. Everybody was staring at me. Then, I heard a gasp behind me. There stood Katara. Obviously, she just heard what Azula said. Suki was glaring at me with deep hate and loathing painted on her face. I couldn't take it. I put my food tray on top of a trash tan next to me and began to leave. Katara suddenly appeared in front of me, and shouted, "Toph! Answer her question. Did you kiss Aang?"

I looked down and muttered, 'Yes."

Katara then did something I never thought would happen. She slapped me hard across the face. Then, she burst into tears and ran out. I stood there with a red hand print on the side of my face. I then walked quickly to the cafeteria entrance and left.

I finally reached my locker and leaned against it. I then slid down to the floor and buried my hands in my hair while placing my forehead on my raised knees. I was trying really hard not to cry. Then, I heard footsteps. I looked up. Zuko stood there. He held out his hand and said, "School is about to resume."

I shook my head, "Katara is in my next class. I can't face her."

Zuko knelt down in front of me, "You made some bad mistakes. I have made my share of mistakes in the past, and I moved on from them."

"I can't move on from these," I said, "I screwed up our group's friendships! What am I going to do?"

At that moment, I heard a classic school chant, "Fight. Fight. Fight."

I immediately stood and Zuko and I ran in the direction of the chant. When we arrived, Zuko, who is one of the tallest students in the school, looked over the crowd, and his eyes widened.

"Who is fighting?" I asked.

"Sokka and Aang."

Together we shoved through the crowd and reached the two boys. Sokka was beating up Aang. Aang was trying to defend himself and pleading, "Sokka! It was a mistake!"

"Mistake my ass!" Sokka shouted and punched Aang in the gut. Aang gasped for air.

Finally I shouted, "Stop!"

Sokka immediately stopped in mid punch. He twirled around and shouted, "First you walk away from me when I tell you I like you, and now you make out with Aang? AANG! He's Katara's boyfriend! How could you! How could you, you… you… bitch!"

He then stormed away. Before he turned the corner, he turned his head and shouted to Aang, "You're a traitor to our friendship! Katara was right to break up with you!"

Aang sat on the ground with tears in his eyes. He stood and glared at me. "Thanks a ton!" he practically screamed. Before I could say anything, he shoved through the crowd and ran down the hall.

Soon, all the students dispersed. I looked at Zuko, who was staring straight ahead. His eyes were glazed over with silent thought. He finally turned his head and said, "Meet me after school."

The bell rang and he left as well. I sighed and ran to my next class.

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Please review! I hope I pleased most people with my attempt to combine the plans that you voted for. See you in a month!!


	8. Chapter 8: Good Advice

Disclaimer: Ahhhhh. Avatar. Sure I own Avatar. Wait. No I don't. Never mind.

A.N. I know this chapter is short, but I just got home from vacation and am still trying to adjust to life again. I tell you… A month in CA will do that to most people. Anyway, I will update this and other stories with in the next few weeks

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The rest of school passed slower than a turtle in a three mile race. Katara glared at me every time I glanced at her. My heart sank lower and lower. Everybody looked at me with disgusted looks. I was a cheater. When Jin became a cheater by kissing Jet, she was an outcast for months. Only her friend's forgiveness saved her ass.

Finally, school ended and I walked slowly out of the building. Zuko was waiting for me. He smiled at me. I hung my head, "Don't pretend to be my friend, Zuko. They were your friends too. And you practically love Suki."

Zuko sighed, "I may love Suki, but I know you made a mistake. Maybe it isn't affecting me as bad because it doesn't hurt me directly, but I feel you need some help and advice."

I kept my head down to prevent him from seeing my eyes. They were leaking tears of heart break. "Zuko," I said, "I value our group's friendships, but I have destroyed it."

"No, you nearly destroyed it," Zuko said, "I think there is hope left. We need to talk to my uncle."

"Iroh?" I said in surprise.

"Yes, he can help. Now come on, I could use a cup of Jasmine tea."

Before I knew it, I was in the pizza parlor. About a dozen people were there. Most were adults and only two kids from my high school were there. Zuko walked up to Iroh and started whispering. After a few seconds, Iroh nodded his head in agreement over something. Zuko walked over to me as I stood there waiting. "Come on. You could use some advice from the master."

I hesitantly walked to a booth and Zuko sat across from me. Iroh appeared five seconds later with several cups of tea. He handed me one and said gently, "Tell me of your troubles, Toph."

I told him everything. He just watched me. When I finished, he stared at me again. After a while he spoke

"Love is a powerful thing, Toph. There are many versions of love. However, the most powerful of the varieties are the love of friendship and affection. I have watched you and your friends for many years. I have never seen such a close group of people. That is the love of friends. All the anger and sadness in each of your hearts will only last as long as you make it last. Katara and Aang love each other. Love conquers all other feelings. They can get back together easily if this is resolved between you and everybody else. I understand you made some terrible mistakes. I know many people who have made mistakes. My brother and Zuko are examples. Each had a choice. Each chose a different path. You need to decide what to do about this terrible event. Just remember: There is still hope. Your group's friendship will be very hard to break completely. I know you will do the right thing."

I looked at him and smiled. He was right. I could fix this.

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